The present invention relates to a method for handling stand up bags.
Such a method is known from DE 197 45 852 or DE 197 45 854 C1.
Stand up bags are bags which most of the time consist of a plastic film or aluminum foil and are designed such that they form a self-standing bottom on which the finished and filled bag can stand. The bags are prefabricated such that the edge opposite to the self-standing bottom remains open, so that the bag can be filled from this side. The bags are supplied in an upright position in receiving means, i.e. in a hanging or standing state, to a filling means where they are filled and are then closedxe2x80x94still in an upright positionxe2x80x94preferably by a welding means which acts on the two open edges, thus compressing and welding the same under heat and pressure. Since stand up bags are able to stand and since receiving devices have to be provided for filling purposes, such stand up bags have always been transported in a standing position until now. It has been believed that the stand up bags in a standing position occupy the least space, thus permitting a maximum transportation speed, i.e. maximum bag throughput.
However, it has been found out during the development of the method according to the invention that this is not true.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a method with which the conveying speed can be increased in the handling of stand up bags.
Surprisingly enough, it has been found that stand up bags in a lying position can be transported much more efficiently although it would actually have to be expected that lying bags due to their cushion-like bulging shape are unstable and thus require a slower conveying speed. However, according to the invention it has been found that this is not the case and that, quite to the contrary, the transportation of the stand up bags in a lying position permits a considerably increased conveying speed.
Although it is already known from EP 676 329, U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,079, U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,458 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,231 to transport packaging with its longitudinal extension in parallel with the transportation surface, this is only true for block-shaped packaging in the case of which the packaging nevertheless rests on a xe2x80x9cself-standing bottomxe2x80x9d, or for cushion-like packaging which is unable to stand and devoid of a self-standing bottom and provided with a symmetrical thickness.